The container of the present invention is of the same general type as the stackable containers described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,519,503 and 4,502,928 which issued May 28, 1985 and June 4, 1985, respectively in the name of the present inventor. The stackable containers described in the Copending Applications, and the stackable container of the present invention, may be loaded with bakery goods at the bakery and stacked on top of one another at upper intermediate stacking levels, depending upon the height of the goods, with the resulting stacks of containers being supported on appropriate dollies. The stacks of loaded containers may then be transported, for example, to the retail outlets. Upon arrival at the retail outlets, the stacks of containers may be rolled on the dollies to appropriate locations on the floor of the retail outlet. The products in the containers may then be displayed at the various locations in the retail outlet, and the products made available for purchase by customers while still in the containers. When the containers are empty, they may be stacked at a lower stacking level for space conservation purposes, and returned to the bakery.
The stackable container of the present invention constitutes an improvement over the stackable containers described in the Copending Applications, in that stacking of the individual containers into one another is facilitated by providing sloping stacking lugs and stacking feet, so that each container may conveniently slide to its appropriate stacked position over a like container in alignment with the latter container under the influence of gravity, and automatically to become locked in place.
Specifically, stackable containers, such as described in the Copending Applications, are difficult to stack by hand, or mechanically without complicated stacking and alignment equipment, because it is difficult to bring the containers into the required vertical alignment with one another after they have been stacked. This difficulty is overcome by the containers of the present invention by mounting the stacking lugs and feet in inclined positions, so that the only operation required to stack a container over a lower container is to place the container slightly forward of its static position on the lower container, and drop it into the lower container. The upper container will then slide by force of gravity and drop to its proper stacked position with the lower container in vertical alignment with the lower container. This feature facilitates manual stacking of the containers, and simplifies the equipment required mechanically to stack the containers.
Another problem encountered by these stackable containers of the Copending Applications is that they tend to be displaced from the stack during transportation by vibrations of the truck, or other carrier, or from rough handling. This causes the stacks to become unstable and to have a tendency to fall over. This latter problem is overcome by the containers of the invention by providing stacking lugs that cause the lower stacking feet of the upper container to lock under the stacking lugs of the lower container, for the upper stacking position of the containers; and by providing locking lugs, as will be described for locking the containers together for the intermediate and lower stacking positions. Thus, when containers of the present invention are stacked on top of one another, at any of several stacking levels, each container is firmly locked with the next lower container, assuring the stability of the stack.
Accordingly, the principal objectives of the present invention are to provide a container that may be stacked at different stacking levels over a like container without any requirement for difficult or awkward movements, such as tilting or rotation of the container, and which automatically becomes securely locked to the next lower container when it is in its stacked position, at any one of several stacking levels.